476 BOARD OF AGEICtTLTURE. • 



Mr. Lafuse: Speaking of cultivated orchards. Do you think you raise 

 just as good apples by manuring and mulching, or by cultivating the 

 fruit? 



Mr. Zion: I am trying both plans. I have about fifty acres, and one 

 half is under cultivation. I have kept it under cultivation for about eight 

 years in order that the trees would have good, strong constitutions. I 

 have kept them from bearing on purpose. If you take a single Ixee and 

 plant it in a yard and neglect it it will come into bearing very early. I 

 think we should cultivate an orchard for seven or eight years to keep 

 them from bearing. You will get longer lived trees in this way, and they 

 will be better trees. I sowed.the orchard in beans and received from a 

 dollar and a quarter to two dollars a bushel for them. Thi^ was an easy 

 way of taking care of the orchard. After the beans were out of the way 

 I gathered the apples. AVhen the apples would fall I would put the pigs in 

 to clean them up. Then I planted rye, or corn, or anything of the kind. 

 I never let it mature, for that is what takes the life out of the ground. 

 I believe in the mulch theory. I cultivate the orchard so that the roots 

 will go down, then in the dry seasons the trees are not affected so much. 

 If I do not do this the roots will be on top of the ground and the dry 

 weather has a wonderful effect upon them. An orchard should be well 

 underdrained. If there were a drought it would not hurt my trees. If 

 it were not for this I would be in great fear for my fruit. It is very 

 dry now in oiu- part of the State, as well as in the southern part of the 

 State. I am in favor of the mulching theory. I want to keep the roots 

 down if I can. 



President Stevens: Are there any other questions? We still have a 

 few minutes. 



Mr. Snodgrass: There have been many things spoken about, but Mr. 

 Zion spoke of potash being the agent that colored the apples. It may be 

 that I am mistaken, but I have read and have come to the conclusion that 

 potash is not the coloring agent. The coloring agent is in the soil. I do 

 not wish to say that this is true, but I wish to ask, am I right? 



Mr. Zion: It is asserted that potash is the coloring agent. Of course 

 most soils naturally contain some potash and color fruit well. I think 

 that the cool weather, changes in temperature, etc., do it. I am not 

 authority, but I do believe the cool weather does it, or at least has some- 

 thing to do with it. Our beautiful colored apples come in the fall and 

 winter. 



: We cannot say that this is always true, for apples grown 



in warmer regions are well colored, but I, too, think that the cold weather 

 has something to do with it 



